Finding my way to Horizon: Zero Dawn took longer than I’d like to admit. It was during the tumultuous COVID era when Sony decided to offer a bundle of free games, among them the "Complete" edition of Horizon, which included its hefty “Frozen Wilds” expansion. With time on my hands, I dove in and was instantly captivated by Aloy’s adventures in this robot-dinosaur-laden, post-apocalyptic universe. Having already clocked over 250 hours in Breath of the Wild, it felt natural to nickname this gem “Robot Dinosaur Zelda.” And why not? With a bow in hand, you’re set to hunt mechanical beasts across a sprawling, open landscape. Its sci-fi allure and intricate lore won me over, turning me into a devoted Aloy fan. After savoring its sequel, Forbidden West, on my humble PS4, I couldn’t resist—investing in a PS5 solely to enjoy the console-exclusive expansion, “The Burning Shores.” Spoiler: it was a worthwhile purchase.
In short, I’m head over heels for Horizon.
With that in mind, news of a LEGO spin-off of the original game took me by surprise. It felt even more unusual when I found out it was a Sony-sanctioned game for the Nintendo Switch. Now, after having played LEGO Horizon Adventures, my initial perplexity persists. It lacks the gameplay finesse and combat acuity that I cherish in the Horizon series, leaving the experience feeling oddly unfocused and incomplete.
A pleasant surprise, however, is the return of much of the original voice cast, including Ashly Burch reprising her role as Aloy. The characters are presented in a self-deprecating, humorous manner that generally works well. A small letdown came with the replacement for Lance Reddick’s Sylens, who sounds quite disparate, creating some apprehension about the character’s portrayal in the upcoming Horizon 3. LEGO Horizon Adventures delivers an extremely liberal retelling of Zero Dawn‘s plot, bypassing one of my favorite elements— the “Zero Dawn” narrative.
The game adopts a top-down perspective with a fixed camera as your LEGO Aloy scampers about with her trusty bow. While this setup works for the platforming sections, it becomes less forgiving in combat scenarios. These encounters often occur in defined arenas against several mechanical foes and occasionally human adversaries from the Shadow Carja faction. Aloy can stealthily blend into the environment by hiding in the orange grass. The clever twist? She temporarily turns into orange grass herself. Once the fight kicks off, though, the lack of camera control means a limited view, which frustrated me.
Aloy’s Focus ability, activated with the L button, reveals enemy weaknesses. While these weak points align somewhat with the original enemies, the game falls short by not incorporating precision aiming or the iconic slow-mo targeting seen in the PlayStation versions. The excitement of disarming machines or crafting specialized arrows is missed. Instead, players find “special weapons” and “gadgets” with restricted uses for battle.
Among these tools, you’ll find mostly elemental bows and gadgets like jet-powered boots, energy shields, and the ingenious melee gadget, "Brick Separator." Though these introduce combat variety, they rarely evoke a sense of mastery or planning. Instead, much of the gameplay involves evasive maneuvers, striking when the opportunity arises.
In typical LEGO game tradition, collecting studs is central—acquired from shattering objects, raiding chests, and defeating foes. These can be spent at Mother’s Heart, the peculiar hub of this adventure.
Mother’s Heart, familiar to Zero Dawn fans, is remodeled here into an interactive space where players can renovate buildings, don costumes, track quests, enhance abilities, and construct structures. As you advance through chapters, additional areas unlock. Customization feels more like a box to check than a fulfilling feature, with most of the new decorations—like the whimsical option to dress Varl as a hot dog—coming from standard LEGO themes.
Progress unlocks “Apex Missions,” pitting you against tougher machine variants to earn "Red Bricks." Combat remains manageable, though challenging fights like the Thunderjaws are few—involving their own elaborate arenas. Some of my preferred moments occur in Cauldrons, the machine factories introduced in the PlayStation games, showcasing intricate environments blending platforms and integrated combat.
Couch and online co-op modes bring added gameplay dimensions. Players can alternate among Aloy, Varl, Erend, and Teersa, each offering distinct styles. Varl wields a spear similar to Aloy’s style, Teersa opts for explosives, and Erend emerges as the bruising melee expert. Playing in solo mode allows character swapping at Mother’s Heart or prior to missions—fun to experiment with, but I felt most at home with Aloy.
Trying couch co-op with kids proved more chaotic than anticipated. While the game holds up technically, keeping track of our avatars amidst the skirmish was challenging, resulting in humorous missteps and revivals. One upside of the straightforward combat means it’s approachable for younger players. Managing to distract a friend’s fourteen-year-old from Fortnite felt like a notable achievement.
All things considered, LEGO Horizon Adventures delivers enjoyable action, albeit as a loose interpretation for younger audiences. It falls short of what makes the PlayStation series so absorbing, but if you’re after a lighthearted, entertaining game to share with family, it’s a commendable pick. What I’d really love, though, are more Horizon-themed LEGO sets for my collection. My Tallneck deserves some company—a Thunderjaw or Slaughterspine would be perfect.
Following the review’s publication, Tim Russ of Star Trek: Voyager fame has been revealed as the new voice for Sylens. While different from Lance Reddick’s voice, Russ possesses a fitting presence for the role within the series. The playful depiction of Sylens in this game—as a DJ, no less—bears little comparison to his main series iteration.
